By Matt Thompson
Addition Trail Athletic Director
The following appeared in the weekly newsletter from DuPage High School District 88 regarding Addison Trail:
The Blazers continued to improve all season long this fall and demonstrated what being a student-athlete at Addison Trail is all about. They left their mark on the school and the community as they competed with pride.
I personally want to thank all of the coaches and athletes for diligently following the health and mitigation protocols set forth by the Illinois High School Association (ISHA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The Blazers were able to safely, effectively and successfully complete the fall season. Thanks again to all of the programs for leaving a legacy of excellence for future seasons to follow.
Below is a recap with highlights:
Boys golf
The Boys Golf Team had a great bounce back from last year. With only one senior, Peter Markopoulos, the boys tied for third place in Conference. Freshman Zachary Morris, sophomore Frank Barges and sophomore Jack Bolsinger earned All-Conference honors, and Morris advanced to Sectionals. The future of AT Boys Golf looks bright.
Girls golf
With only one returning varsity player from last season, the Girls Golf Team might not have won against a Conference opponent, but the girls had a lot of wins in other aspects. The team welcomed many new players this season, and underclassmen served as veterans to help rebuild the program. The team as a whole was competitive, respectful and ultimately had fun playing this season. The girls were excited to improve their game in each and every practice and match. The Girls Golf Team continues to welcome new players and will practice in the off-season to stay competitive and be ready to have some wins next year.
Boys cross-country
The Boys Cross-County Team finished the season with three wins and four losses. The boys placed fourth at Conference – the team’s highest finish since 1991 – and had two All-Conference and seven All-Academic athletes. The Blazers also finished in sixth place at Regionals (the team’s best finish in a long time and second-lowest point total), and senior Dylan Moran and junior Alexander Martinez qualified for Sectionals. This year was one of the largest teams, with 30 members, including a strong group of freshmen. Everyone worked really hard to adapt to the COVID-19 rules and regulations to make the meets and practices successful. The seniors will be hard to replace, with most of the nine being four-year runners, who have shown tremendous dedication to the program and each other and produced the team’s first State qualifier in almost 40 years.
Girls cross-country
The Girls Cross-Country team had a strong – and more importantly safe – 2020 season. Practices and meets were different, but the team adapted extremely well. The team won its dual meets against Leyden and Proviso East and had a tight loss with Willowbrook this season. Senior Viviana Sanfilippo was again the team’s lead runner and won five of the six varsity dual meets. The girls placed fifth in Conference this year, with junior Madelyn Ford becoming a two-time All-Conference runner and Sanfilippo becoming the first four-time varsity All-Conference runner in Addison Trail history. The Regionals team included Sanfilippo, Ford, sophomores Ximena Juarez Martinez and Esmeralda Bucio and freshmen Natalie Lupa, Zabrina Garza and Giselle Hernandez. The final outstanding performance of the season again went to the team’s MVP, Sanfilippo, who ran a qualifying time to make her the first four-time Sectionals qualifier in school history. Although the IHSA State competition didn’t take place this year because of COVID-19, Sanfilippo’s performance would have again qualified her as an individual. Sanfilippo, senior Mia Johnson and senior Jina Patel also earned All-Academic recognition.
Girls tennis
The Girls Tennis Team finished 6-6 on the season, placing fourth in the season and end-of-the-year tournament. The highlight of the year was Conference, where three of the seven positions on the team beat a player they had lost to twice during the season. Sophomore Mia Dravilas, senior Justine Bugante, senior Emily Stevenson and junior Alicia Lloveras earned All-Conference honors. The five seniors on the varsity team also earned All-Academic recognition.
Thank you, Blazers, for a remarkable fall season. We look forward to the successes the winter, spring and summer seasons will bring.
